Playmaker shuffle: Wallaby young gun to take over from Cooper?
SPOTLIGHT: In-form playmaker Carter Gordon could link with Tate McDermott in a new Wallaby halfback pairing to face the All Blacks, while Jordan Petaia is eyeing another positional switch in his injury return.
Bulk changes are tipped for Saturday’s Bledisloe Cup MCG opener against a red-hot New Zealand after an 0-2 start since Eddie Jones’ sudden second-coming as coach this year.
It’s the Wallabies’ third-last Test – and last on home soil – before their World Cup opener in France, against Georgia on September 10.
Quade Cooper has started in the No.10 alongside scrumhalf Nic White in both Test losses.
But probing Queensland Reds No.9 McDermott and Melbourne Rebels flyhalf Gordon, who admirably played a bulk of the last Test against Argentina in the centres as injury cover, shape as Australia’s fresh playmaking partnership.
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Outside centre Len Ikitau’s shoulder injury has opened the door for more changes, with Petaia in line for a shock return to the position he once owned before moving to the wing and then fullback.
If selected in the No.13, Petaia would partner Samu Kerevi in the midfield – as he did while still a teenager at the 2019 World Cup – although Izaia Perese is another option in the centres or flank.
Fit-again Andrew Kellaway looms as the new fullback after Tom Wright was dropped from the squad, while Taniela Tupou is back in the fray and Angus Bell is also pushing for a start to shake up the front row.
The Wallabies need victory at the MCG and also in Dunedin next month to win the Bledisloe Cup for the first time since 2002.
“It’s massive; we’ve marked this game since our camp in April,” wing Suliasi Vunivalu told reporters in Melbourne on Wednesday.
“We want to win this game; it’s a big game in a big stadium and we’re all looking forward to it.”
Vunivalu wasn’t retained on the wing against Argentina following a rough day in his first Test start against South Africa.
“It was a tough game in South Africa,” he said.
“I’ve got a lot of the coaches’ support; they’ve been working with me and I’ll do my bit and hopefully that gets me selected.
He said his focus was on “being busy” and drew comparisons between Jones and former National Rugby League coach at Melbourne Craig Bellamy.
“He’s a funny fella, they have a bit of similarities, but not with [using] the ‘f’ word every second word from Craig, which is good,” he laughed.
Mark Nawaqanitawase excelled in Vunivalu’s place against Los Pumas in a sublime attempt to lock up his spot alongside fellow wing Marika Koroibete.
“It puts pressure on coaches, it’s good for all of the outside backs,” Vunivalu said of the competition for spots.
“I can only control myself in training and I’ll let the coach do his bit.”
